Lalitha Dorai @lalitha

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resident of Koramangala and now of HSR Layout, Rekha Dinesh wove magic and enthralled the audience with her richly flawless footwork, enchanting 'mudras', expressive eyes and effortless grace during her solo Bharatanatyam performance-Nrityarpanam -- at ADA Rangamandira a fortnight ago.
Performing arts became Rekha's destiny and her journey began at the age of 8 when the late Smt. Lalitha Dorai of Bangalore initiated her into the formal discipline of Bharatanatyam. After that, she completed her 'Vidwath' examination conducted by Karnataka State Education Board, securing second rank that year.
Since then she has been performing in many programmes, including those organised by the Department of Kannada and Culture, the Sangeetha Nrithya Academy and at the All India Youth Festival held at Dharwad. She has also performed under various banners like the Indian Institute of World Culture, the Malleshwaram Sangeetha Sabha and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
Her performance was not limited to the country. During her stay in North America, she worked as an Assistant Art Director at Kalapadma Dance Academy in Chicago, USA, for four years. There she performed at many events and cultural programmes, like Dussehra and Diwali celebrations in 2001 and 2002, organised by ISA in co-ordination with Hindu Heritage Centre and the Indian Association of Peoria at Bradley University, Peoria, USA.
Besides this, she has taken part in the fund-raising event for the erection of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in New Skokie Park in December 2002, in the Spring fest organised by Vokkaligara Parishat of America, Midwest, USA, in 2003; Zee Heritage festival in 2003 in Chicago and other various community programmes during Indian festival, organised by the Indian community in Chicago.
Learning is a continuous process and it is not limited to age. Her insatiable passion for dance has made her a learner forever. For the last four years, she has been continuing her learning under B. Bhanumathi and Sheela Chandrashekar of "Nrityakalamandiram". She has given various performances under their guidance.
"Dance is an art and is a great knowledge. I cannot say I got my inspiration from anyone or anything; it just became my destiny as I was good at it and tremendously interested in it," says Rekha. Not only is she giving performances, but she is also conveying this art form as a dedicated teacher to many aspiring students. She is the founder and Art Director of Benaka Natya Mandir in HSR Layout. This was conceived and founded by her upon requests by a few enthusiastic dance students in Koramangala in 1991.
Later she moved to Chicago and continued teaching there as an Assistant Art Director in Kalapadma Dance Academy. After moving back to India, Rekha continued teaching dance for aspiring students at HSR Layout, conducting weekly classes in classical dance for adults and children.
Benaka Natya Mandir is committed to excellence in dance education and strives to instil and promote values of service, commitment and integrity. The centre has received recognition from the local people and her students have given various performances in and around HSR Layout.
With the encouragement from her husband, blessings from her parents who are residing in Koramangala 4th Block and in-laws and with guidance from her beloved gurus, P. Bhanumathi and Sheela Chandrashekar, Rekha hopes to make a significant contribution to the field of dance through her stage performances and academic